Election game



Nov. 28, 1939.

W. C. SANFORD ELECTION GAME Filed April 2l, 1938 l lmnurum ',"llllulllllllllnn` Patented Nov. 28, 1939 UMTEDy STATES rirrslrr ori-*ICE ELECTION GAME William C. Sanford, La Oroya, Peru Application April 21, 1938, Serial No. 203,433

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a game and more particularly to a game of the board and movable piece type.

An object of the present invention is to provide,

in a game, equipment which shall include suitable characteristics indicative of the political instrument known as the electoral college, whereby the play may ordinarily proceed in simulation of the statistical progress of a national election under l() Athe current two-party system.

In one embodiment, the game includes apparatus consisting of a board and a plurality of pieces, the board presenting a checkered field of inner and outer areas for play and the pieces bearing distinguishing indicia. The pieces are designed for play on the board and consist of two groups, the larger consisting of game pieces approximating in number the number of political divisions embraced in the election, and the smaller group including player pieces representative of two major contestants for election and through manipulation of which the action of the game is realized.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred form, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part thereof, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a game board capable of utilization in the invention;

- Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a typical game piece, it being understood that 48 thereof may be utilized in the game;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of one of the player pieces, same being lined for color (blue) and 35, Fig. 4 is a corresponding view of the other player piece, same being lined for red.

Referring to the drawing, board l0 shown in Fig. l is square, having ends ll and I2 and opposite sides I4 and l5. The playing surface I6 of 4 the board consists of a plurality of squares I1,

lines 18 and transverse lines I9.

Lines IB and I9 define, in the present embodiment, 225 squares or 15 squares along each dimension of the board. The majority of the defined by a series of equally spaced longitudinal m24, 25, 26, and 21 contain marked squares alternating with blank squares and collectively marked to designate the remaining States of the Union. At opposite sides of the board there are provided outer areas or rows 29 and 30 composed of squares blank save for the middle square which 5 is marked, as shown at 3| and 32, respectively, vto indicate initial positions for player pieces 33 and 34 (Figs. 3 and 4).

The arrangement of the board is based upon the discovery that the States of the Union fall '10' State Votes State Votes 20 Row 21 Row 22 Idaho 4 South Dakota 4 Arizona 3 Wyoming 3 Delaware 3 Vermont 3 Montana 4 Utah 14 14 Row 23 Row 24 Arkansas 9 Kansas 9 Connecticut. 8 Washington 8 Maryland 8 West Virginia 8 Florida. 7 Nebraska. 7 Maine 5 Colorado.. 6 Oregon 5 North Dakota 4 30 New Hampshire 4 Rhode Island 4 New Mexico 3 Nevada 3 49 49 Row 25 Row 26 New Jersey 16 Missouri l5 North Carolina 13 Indiana 14 i Wisconsin l2 Georgia 12 35 Alabama 1l Oklahoma 11 Iowa ll Tennessee ll Kentucky 1 Virginia 11 Minnesota. l Louisiana l0 South Carol Mississippi 9 93 93 y Row 27 Y 40 Massachusetts 17 Michigan 19 California 22 Texas 23 Ohio 26 Illinois 29 Pennsylvania 36 45 New York 47 For example, row 2| and row 22 each contain four different States having a total of 14 electoral 50 votes each. Rows 23 and 24 represent groups of States indicated whose electoral votes total 49. Rows 25 and 26 represent groups of States, each group representing 93 electoral votes. The disposition of rows 2| to 26, inclusive, on the board `mi' 2# f f yr o is such that States of corresponding voting strength are substantially equidistant from the marked player squares 3| and 32. For example, States appearing `in each of lines 2| and 22 possess a voting strength of 14. States in each of rows 23 and 24 possess a voting strength of 49. 'I'hose States appearing in rows 25 and 26 have a total strength of 93. Row 21 is equidistant between initial player positions 3| and 32. The voting strength of the Statesincluded in row 21 is 219, thus giving each contestant Yanequal opportunity to capture such Valuable territory.

Essential to the practice of the game are State; or game pieces 36. It will be understood that the game includes 48 such pieces, each of 4which is marked to represent a diferentStateof the Union-and 'also to bear indicia'to indicate the voting strength of that State in the electorall college. As shown, for example, in Fig. 2, the game piece representing the State of New York-bears numerals'll'l: By reference to the. above tabulation, and particularly with the group listed under Row 27 thevoting strength of! New York is stated to be.47. It will be understood, by reference tosaid tabulation, that the Pennsylvania game piece will bear numerals` 36 indicating-that States voting strength, the. game piece representing the State of illinois will bear numerals 29 indicating its strength,I and so on.

At the start of the garnev the player pieces 33 and 34 may be placed upon the initial player squares 3| and 32. The game pieces 36 are then distributed over the State squares according to the marking of said squares, the Arizona game piece being placed uponV the Arizona square, the, Connecticut game.' piecel on the Connecticut square, and such system followed until each game piece in the set rests upon its corresponding square. The 48 squares inscribed with the symbols of the respective States serve only the purpose of indicating the location of the State piecesY or tokens at the start "of the game.

The object of the game for a contestant isv to win as many States as possible, or at least a suficient number to achieve a majority of the the -State Apiece from the board and credit his.V

electoral votes. When'a player moves his party. piece or token into any square thenV occupied by.l a State piece, such State is then considered to have been won, andsaid player should removev score with the numberof votes (points) indicated on the State piece.

It will be observed that the locationoflther State and party pieces at thelstart of the game, as described above, isV extremely importantbe.- cause it insures the two contestants an equal i chance, taking intoconsideration the segrega-` tion of the StatesA into one pair of rows eachl totaling 14 electoral votes, another pair of rows each totaling 49 electoral votes, still another' pair having 93 votes each, and the single row 21 f' totaling 219 votes. v

At the commencement of play, the board pre-V sents a field upon which' each contestant may endeavor, by moving any ofthe State pieces Vorl his own player piece into a contiguous square, to capture States and thereby score as manypoints 'or electoralvotes as possible.

Any method oflot may be used 'to determine. which player shall be entitled to make the irstAV move of the game, and preferably the playersalternate in succeeding games in right to makeIv the'rst move'. After the rst move, the players alternate in'moving, as in chess or checkers..y

Various types of playing strategy may be ein ployed; for example, a party token may be moved to approach a State token, to move into a square occupied by a State token to thereby capture it, to move into a commanding position over one or more State tokens, or to block the strategy of the adversary. Except that it may not be moved into a square occupied by the adversarys party token, a party token may be moved one space at a time in any direction', forward or backward, to the right or to Ythe left, across a side or a corner, and from any square to any adjoining square.

Except that it may not, before at least one intervening move, be moved back to the square is necessary @tov avoid `a situationof stalemate:A

back and forth between two squares- The purpose for moving thev State-tokens -is gto 4maneuver them into position where the party token,v ofthe v arising when a State token is moved 'repreatedlyx`v player willcommand them; thatis, where the. party token will be` closer to them, 'in number of ,1 moves, than the party token lof `the adversary.:

A player may thus attempt to'gain` the commandl overvseveral State tokensbeforehe moves his party token to effect their capture.-

State tokens also `may be moved lto Vextricate them from the.,`

commandof the adversary, or into. position jto 1.

blockl the strategy of the adversary.

A ,player who captures suilicientrState ltokens or-game'pieces 39 to make agrnajorty of the f electoralvotes (266) wins thegamel When itiis 1 determined that a game haswbeen won, the loser.

mayI elect to continue .the play or, instead, to con.- cedethe` remaining States tothe Winner.

The L game score of eachfplayer is'credited withthef. sum of all the electoral votes indicated on the.v

game pieces gfcaptured-by him andfconceded to him', andalso with a sum, as agreedupomfor eachrgame won byhim. f

From the foregoing it will'v be observed that'thej.

present embodiment presents agame affording exceptional opportuni-ty for the play oi` individual design.- and strategy, the ru-lesf of 1 which;V are simpler A player may attempt :to capture vvmany 1 little States or a comparativelyfew Sta'teshavfingglarge numbers of electoral. votes,; such as,` for example', the States'in'rowi--Zl'or those in rows f rectly towardgthe-Statetokens, or hemay move"v several rState tokensinto positionwhere his party token commands them; Ori thegother hand, the

play may be a combination of. the two methods; A'playersv'movesalsor may be calculated-to confound tthe.- adversa-ry either;v forl example, by-distrategy-of the player. Ultimately, the onlyfelerectly opposing his=,;strat,egy 'or by-v screening the mentof-chance encounteredfin playing the garnet isther huma-n element; otherwisethe; game yis one yof pure skill and intellectually stimulating,v besides having the popular.` appeal of fone resembling a presidential election campaign;

For instance, I'havefoundlthat chess players'excel'in `this game, although it' is -not as diiiicult as chess and-hence may be enjoyablyplayed much more easily. than 1, chess.

Although the' present embodiment j utilizes a;

particular arrangement' of State squares on thefl board; it'V willbe understood.' that their positionr may be altered in .detail without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the distribution of some of the low scoring States may be varied with respect to the player-starting squares 3l and 32. Or the player-starting squares may be moved toward the center without altering that desirable factor requiring that the starting positions of the players be equal with respect to the starting positions or State or game tokens of commensurate value. Also, while certain of the squares on the board and the game pieces 36 have been designated by name of States and the numbers ofl electoral votes, these may have any other desirable designations thereon without departing from the principle of the game and the manner of playing it, as above described.

I claim:

1. A game simulating a presidential election campaign comprising player tokens one for and to be actuated by each contestant, one set of State tokens each representing a different State of the Union and each bearing indicia denoting a different State and to be actuated by either contestant, a game board having a surface for supporting and over which said tokens may be moved, the board having at least a portion of its surface divided into contiguous squares or areas arranged to form substantially parallel rows which extend in directions substantially at right angles to each other, like alternate areas of alternate rows bearing indicia referring to different States of the Union, such State areas corresponding in number with the number of said State tokens, said board having two oppositely disposed marginal areas from which the initial move of a player token is made, the areas representing States of minor voting strength being included in the outer of said rows of State areas adjacent the said marginal areas, the State areas representing States of major voting strength being included in the rows between said rows of State areas of minor voting strength, each of said State'areas constituting the initial location for its corresponding State token.

2. A game simulating a presidential election campaign comprising player tokens to be actuated by each contestant, a plurality of State tokens one representing each State of the Union and each bearing indicia denoting a different State, a game board having a surface for supporting and over which said tokens may be moved, the board having at least a portion of its surface divided into contiguous squares or areas arranged to form substantially parallel rows which extend in directions substantially at right angles to each other, like alternate areas of alternate rows bearing indicia representing .diierent States of the Union, such State areas corresponding in number with the number of said State tokens, said board having two oppositely disposed marginal areas from which the initial move of a player token is made, one of said State rows between said marginal areas being a State middle row and representing Stat'es of major voting strength, the State areas in rows on opposite sides of the middle row representing States of progressively lesser voting strength toward said marginal areas, each of said State areas constituting the initial location for its corresponding State token.

3. A game simulating a presidential election campaign comprising a player token to be actuated by and for each contestant, a plurality of State tokens one representing each State of the Union and each bearing indicia denoting a diierent State and to be actuated by either contestant, a game board having a surface for supporting and over which said tokens may be moved, the board having at least a portion of its surface divided into contiguous squares or areas arranged t'o form substantially parallel rows in directions substantially at right angles to each other, like alternate areas of alternate rows bearing indicia referring to different States of the Union, whereby each State area is separated from an adjacent State area bya blank area, such State areas corresponding in number with the number of said State tokens, each board having two oppositely disposed marginal areas from which the initial move of a player token is made.

WILLIAM C. SANFORD. 

